Car coupler



1934- A. c. SCHMOHL El AL 1,969,948

GAR COUPLER Filed Oct. 22, 1932 Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNETEE STATES CAR COUPLER Application (Petober 22, 1932, Serial No. 639,100

3 Claims.

Our invention pertains to car couplers of the link and pin type and particularly that type of coupler having a retractable link. In the present embodiment of the invention it is proposed to let t idle link depend partly downward from the coupler rearwardly of the coupling pin and yet retain a substantial portion of the link within the coupler free of the coupling pin. In this manner the coupling pin is free to engage with the entering link of an adjacent coupler and the retarded link does not extend to such an extent below the coupler as to engage obstructions between the track rails and become damaged. The coupler of the drawing has been illustrated to show the application of the invention to a spring coupler which spring absorbs shocks incident to the operation of the cars upon which the coupler is mounted. Heretofore in the various types of retractable link couplers embodying 2O springs it has been necessary to increase the length of the coupler to provide for disposition of the link and it will be observed that in our invention no increased length of the coupler over that necessary to receive the spring is necessary.

An object of our invention is to provide a car coupler either with or without spring buihng means and having a retractable link, which link is adapted to be retracted to a position within the coupler and free of the coupling pin. A further object of our invention is to provide a coupler of the type described in which the retractable link, when in coupling operation, is retained within the coupler by means of the coupling pin.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows in plan, couplers of adjacent car bodies when coupled together; Fig. 2 shows in elevation two similar couplers. t will be noted the coupler on the left of Fig. l is a transverse section on the longitudinal center line and the corresponding coupler in Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the longitudinal center line except that the link is shown in full.

Referring now in detail to the drawing where like reference characters refer to like parts reference character 1 indicates the coupler having a housing 2 adapted to be secured to a car body (not shown). Mounted within the housing and moving longitudinally thereof is a drawhead 3 comprising a shank portion 4 adapted to extend within the housing and a buffing portion 5 adapted to receive shocks incident to the operation of the car.

It will be understood that our invention may be embodied in a coupler which is not provided with spring buffing means and in which the drawhead is rigidly secured to the car body, in which event the housing and drawhead of the drawing would be made in one piece and suitably formed.

Mounted within the shank portion i of the drawhead are resilient members 6 in the form of coiled springs which springs are retained etween two key members extending through the coupler housing and drawhead shank. From an inspection of the drawing it will be observed that the openings in the drawhead and housing through which the key members pass are slotted so as to provide for movement of the drawhead within the housing. In the embodiment shown in the drawing the rear key 7 is locked in place by means of a retainer which fits within the end of the 79 shank. The rear key is secured to this member by means of a bolt. The front key 8 as shown has a head on one end and a pin passing through the other end preventing its unauthorized or accidental removal from the coupler. The springs as shown in the drawing comprise outer and inner coils but it is to beunderstood that any number of coils or any particular type of mechanism can be used to absorb the shocks.

Intermediate the shank portion 4 and the face 9 of the bufiing portion 5 of the drawhead is a chamber 10 preferably having side walls 11, a top 12 and a floor or bottom wall 13. Extending transversely of this chamber through openings in the top and bottom walls, preferably immediately behind the bufiing face, is a coupling pin 14. In order to prevent unauthorized removal of the coupling pin or theft thereof, one end 15 of the coupling pin is enlarged so as to prevent its removal from the drawhead. It will be observed from the drawing that the opening 16 in the bottom wall 13 of the chamber is suhiciently large to permit the passage of the enlarged end 15 of the pin and the opening 17 in the top wall 12, while sufficiently large to permit free passage of the body of the pin, will not permit the enlarged end 15 to pass therethrough. When using coupling pins of this type it is preferable to make the handle portion 18 separate from the shank portion of the pin and the shank portionof the pin is inserted from the bottom of the coupler through the bottom and top openings after which the handle portion is placed on the shank and secured thereto by means of a pin, screw threads or any other suitable means.

In the front face 9 or buffing face of the drawhead is an opening extending into the chamber 10. This opening is preferably made of sufiicient vertical width to permit entrance of the coupling link of an adjacent coupler and allow for movement of same vertically to permit relative movement between couplers to meet operating conditions such as when cars are passing over uneven track, and of such transverse length as to permit movement of the coupling link when the cars are rounding curves. Through the bottom wall 13 of the chamber, adjacent the rear thereof is an opening 18 of sufficient length and width to permit easy passage of the coupling link to be mounted within the drawhead.

The coupling link mounted within the drawhead comprises a closed link portion 19 and a l'earwardly extending tail portion 20 preferably provided with an enlarged free end 21, the purpose of Which will become apparent as the description proceeds. When the link is in coupled position as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing the closed link portion 19 is engaged by the coupling pin 14 passing therethrough and this closed portion 19 is of sufficient length to extend through the opening in the buffing face of the drawhead and to enter a similar drawhead mounted on an adjacent car. It will be observed that when the link is in active coupling position, the coupling pin serves the purpose of transmitting the pulling force from the link to the drawhead. The rearwardly extending tail portion of the link is of such length that when the coupling link is fully extended through the opening in the front face of the coupling the tail portion will extend through the opening in the floor of the chamber. The enlarged end 21 of the tail portion is of such size as to prevent its passage through the opening in the bottom wall of the chamber so as to prevent removal of the link through the front opening when the coupling pin is out of engagement with the link.

Intermediate the ends of the closed link portion 19 of the coupling link and on opposite sides thereof are projecting shoulders 22. These shoulders serve the dual purpose of preventing the coupling link from being removed from the drawhead through the rear opening and to support the coupling link within the drawhead when in retracted position. As will be observed from the drawing these shoulders are of a distance from the forward end of the link which is less than the vertical height of the chamber so that. when the link is moved to retracted position and is supported on the shoulders which engage with the sides of the opening 18 in the floor of the chamber, the portion of the link remaining within the chamber can assume a substantially vertical position. The opening 18 is of sufiicient size to permit passage of the shoulders 22 of the link when the link is inserted in the coupler. In order to retain the link within the coupler, closing pieces 23 are placed on each side of the opening. The closing pieces have at one end a shoulder 24 which engages a shoulder 25 of the floor of the chamber 10 and at the other end has an opening through which a fastening member 26 such as a rivet or pin is passed and engages with the side wall of the chamber, thus securing the closing piece in place. A light spring is secured to the top wall of the chamber and the upper end of the link abuts against this spring deflecting it and is thus held in position adjacent the rear of the chamber and out of engagement with the coupling pin. In this position there is sufficient room between the adjacent portions of the coupling pin and the re-- tracted link to permit the entering link of an adjacent coupler to be engaged by the coupling pm.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that numerous changes in the size and length of the drawhead and housing or in the shank portion of the drawhead can be made without departing from our invention. It is also obvious that the shape of the chamber can be modified to suit the particular conditions while yet retaining the principal features of the invention which comprise the retention of a major portion of the link within the drawhead when the link is moved to retracted position out of engagement with the coupling pin so that the link will not depend below the coupler a sufiicient distance so as to be injured by contact with obstructions between the tracks of the car rails. It will be further observed in a construction of the type described the link when in active coupling position is retained within the coupler by engagement with the coupling pin and when in normal position there is substantially a straight line pull between the coupling pins of opposing couplers.

Having thus described the invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a. car coupler, a drawhead, an opening in the drawhead for the reception of a coupling link, a coupling link in the opening, a coupling pin extending transversely of said opening and adapted to engage the link when in coupling position, oppositely disposed shoulders on said link, a portion extending rearwardly from the inner end of the link and an opening in the lower wall of the drawhead communicating with said firstnamed opening, said link being supported free of said pin in a substantially vertical position above said lower opening upon said shoulders when in retracted position, and having said rearwardly extending portion depending through said lower opening.

2. In a car coupler, a drawhead, a chamber in the drawhead having a front opening and a downward rearwardly disposed opening, a removable member defining a side of said latter opening, a coupling link within said chamber and adapted to extend through the rear opening and beyond the front face of the drawhead when in coupling position, means on the link preventing removal thereof through said front opening when the removable member is in position, a coupling pin movable transversely of said chamber and retaining the link within the. head when in coupling position, said link when free of the coupling pin being movable to a position rearwardly of the pin and depending through said rear opening.

3. In a car coupler, a drawhead, a chamber within said head and having a downwardly curved floor portion, a front opening and a rear opening in the drawhead communicating with the floor of said chamber, a retractable coupling link within the chamber and extending through both openings when in coupling position. a removable member defining a side of the rear opening and removed to permit insertion of the rear of the link through the rear opening, shoulders on the link intermediate the ends thereof for engagement with the sides of said rear opening to suspend the link within the chamber when the link is in retracted position. 7

ALFRED C. SCHMOHL. JOHN P. ANDERSON. 

